


Unexpected Events

by Greenismyfav



Category: Sky High (2005)
Genre: Brothers, Character Death, Family Feels, Friendship, Gen, Hurt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-29
Updated: 2017-09-10
Packaged: 2018-12-21 09:23:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,542
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11941128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Greenismyfav/pseuds/Greenismyfav
Summary: An attack.  A friend in need.  A death, but not all is what it seems...or is it?





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Love these characters to death!

Chapter One                

                “No,” Will growled, straining his arm through the bars, “No, no, no, this can’t be happening.  Come on.”

                “Little more to the right,” Zack instructed as Will made the adjustment and finally felt and then grabbed his best friend’s chilled wrist, “You got him.”

                Will sat up and carefully pulled Warren’s limp body towards the cell.  Wren was damn heavy and completely still.  He made no snarky comment or even twitched at being dragged like this.  Warren had been the last to make his stand against the Infiltrator.  He had put up a good fight, but had surrendered when his neutralized friends had been used against him.  Warren had gone down hard at the freeze ray meant for the others.

                “He’s been hit in the chest,” Layla moaned as Will ripped his jacket off to place over the pyro, “Warren’s fire is pulled from the heart.  That ray may have messed with his flame, Will.  He won’t last much longer without help.”

                Will knew Layla was right.  Warren’s skin usually smoldered with the fire that rippled within his veins.  Now his best friend’s skin was the palest he’d ever seen it and absolutely cold to the touch.  The ice crystal’s that clung to his chest and frosted Warren’s hair wouldn’t budge no matter how hard Will tried to wipe it all away.

                “No,” Will hissed, banging the neutralizing cuff on the ground to try and break it, but no luck, “He’s freezing to the touch.  If we don’t get him warmed up and medical care, Wren dies.  Ideas?”

                “Let me try to pick the lock again,” Magenta finally spoke up as the others frowned, feeling helpless, “Without our powers, we’re really only a bunch of kids, Will.”

                “No, we’re Warren’s only hope,” Will bit back as Magenta’s eyes widened, “He sacrificed himself for us, we aren’t giving up on him.  Get the cell open, Mag.  Hurry.”

                “Oh, no,” Layla murmured as Will turned to see what was upsetting her.

                Will panicked when he looked at where she pointed.  Warren lay where he’d been dragged with Will’s coat over him and his hair a mess around his head.  What was wrong now?  Then, Will saw it.  Warren’s red streak, the one that he swore was natural, was slowly bleaching into a pure white.  The youngest Stronghold remembered his power biology enough to know this meant that a pyro’s fire was fading.  Warren was losing his spark.  No spark, no Wren.

                “No, no!” Will denied, kneeling to pull Warren up and hug him as best he could through the bars to offer him body heat, “No, Wren.  Come on.  Fight this, Warren.”

                Warren didn’t even flinch when Will cradled his head and patted the older boy’s cheeks to try and rouse him.  Nothing.  The only movement was the curl of frost creeping over the lax face that continued to grow from where Warren had been hit by the freeze ray. 

“No,” Will denied, trying again to scrub the ice bits away without luck, “Damn it!  Mag!”

                “I’m trying,” Magenta snarled, working harder at picking the lock, “This is a double barreled, inverted containment locket.  I’m doing the best I can.”

                “Your best isn’t good enough, is it, Little Girl?”

                Will hissed as he did his best to pull Warren away from the Infiltrator.  Bastard had disguised himself as a student and had sprung his trap.  The students and faculty had been neutralized and locked in holding cells that seemed to build from a strange box the villain would hurl at his victims.  Will and his group were the last hold outs, but Infiltrator played dirty.

                “It is going to be so good to end all the would-be heroes,” Infiltrator laughed out, leaning against of pillar of the front steps of Sky High, “Future villains will have me to thank for not having another generation of idiots standing in our way.  We will…ah!”

                Will gasped as he bent Warren away from the flames that suddenly encircled the Infiltrator.  The villain screamed as the fire ate at tender flesh before a large figure landed behind the villain and grabbed at Infiltrator’s collar to bend the man backwards.

                “Barron Battle,” Ethan whispered as they all cringed from the heat.

                “Those other assholes may be too chicken shit to attempt a rescue with hostages, but I will not step back and let you do something to _my_ child,” Barron snapped, “Where the _fuck_ is my son?”

                “Mr. Battle,” Will called out as the man turned and saw who the boy was supporting, “Warren was hit in the heart with a freeze ray.  Help him!”

                “He was _what_?” Barron questioned, dropping the injured villain to race to his son, “Warren!”

                Barron Battle snatched his limp child from Will’s grip before ripping the coat off as he lay his son on the ground.  First, the man melted the ice from his son’s chest before leaning to listen to the boy’s heart.

                “Battle!”

                “Shut the fuck up, Stronghold!” Barron yelled back as The Commander ran over and froze at the spectacle going on, “You get these kids out of here.  My boy’s heart is stopping and his core temperature is too low.  I have seconds to use my fire to save my son so get out or get fried.  Go!”

                Steve Stronghold gasped, but tore the cell door open and dragged Infiltrator as he ushered the children out of harm’s way.  Will hovered for a moment before grunting as his father snatched his wrist and dragged him back.  Barron ignited then as he lifted his child to lean against him.  Will barely felt his father snap the neutralizing band from his arm as he strained to see what was happening. 

                “Look at that,” voices said as other freed students watched the serpent like dragon flames flow and incinerate anything touched as Barron Battle fought to save his child.

                “Will,” Jetstream cried as she landed and hugged her son against her while other known heroes arrived with other freed students, “Are you hurt?”

                “No, but I would have been,” Will admitted as his father turned from the fire to glance at him in horror, “Wren saved me.  I was neutralized and Infiltrator was going to impale me with that weird staff thing he uses, but Warren fought him off me.  He was amazing and I was just all neutralized and locked in a cell and then Warren gave up when Infiltrator turned a gun on us, but that jerk fired at us anyway.  Wren ran in front of the ray.  He took the hit for us.  He fell and I couldn’t do anything to help.  This is all my fault.  I couldn’t do anything and I’m supposed to be the strongest in school and he’s…he’s dying because of me.”

                “Now, now,” Steven tried, pulling his traumatized son against him to try and end the panicked babble, “Look, Will, being the strongest doesn’t mean you can protect everyone all the time.  That is why heroes work in teams.  Warren knew that going in.  Nothing is your fault and as luck would have it, the only one that could get through the shields Infiltrator erected around Sky High is Battle.  He agreed to help us get in, but then Barron went rouge once he got the shields down.  Tried to escape.”

                “Bullshit.”

                “Will!” Josie fussed as her son glared towards the flames.

                “No, what Dad said is bullshit,” Will huffed, “He wasn’t escaping.  Barron Battle came in with fire blazing to find Warren.  He was scared for Wren, Mom.”

                “I know that now, Son,” Steven assured as his boy looked up at him, “That is why I said ‘as luck would have it.’  Truly the only one that can restart a pyro’s heart is a blooded relative that shares the same spark.  Warren’s only chance of reviving is all in Barron’s hands and Barron is only here because his son was trapped here too.  There is only one person that man truly loves and that is his child, Will.  Barron Battle will pour every bit of fire he has into his boy if he needs to.  Principle Powers, we need to get these students back and erect a shield.  Barron will not stop until he’s emptied his reserves and he’s already reached flight capacity.”

                Will ignored the adults as he watched Barron Battle floating several yards above the school.  The twisting serpentine fire was forming into a true visage of a dragon.  The young hero could care less about the dragon.  His eyes were locked on his best friend.  Warren lay still and limp in his father’s arms.  Barron Battle was holding his son as if the teen was a small child again, but Wren appeared lifeless.  The flames weren’t working.  Josie Stronghold cried out as Will took flight to reach Warren.

                “What the hell are you doing, Boy?” Barron snarled when Will hovered as close as he was able to get with the massive flames, “Get the fuck out of here!”

                “No, please listen to me, Mr. Battle.  Wren’s a fire bird,” Will yelled back as Barron paused to look down at his child, “When he ignites completely, the fire looks like a bird.  There are wings and feathers.  Could that be why he isn’t warming up?”

                “A phoenix,” Barron breathed, cradling Warren against him more, “Of course.  Phoenixes don’t accept dragon fire.  That is why Warren isn’t taking my flames.”

                “William Stronghold!” Josie yelled, reaching her son to pull him against her as the two floated near the flame dragon.

                “Stronghold?” Barron gasped, glancing to Will with narrowed eyes before barking a laugh as he glanced to his still boy, “So your best friend is a baby Stronghold, War?  How very unexpected.”

                “Wren,” Will corrected as the father glanced up at him, “I…I once called Warren ‘War’ and he got like really angry at me.  Said that he wasn’t a ‘War’ and wouldn’t talk to me for nearly a week.  Then I called him Wren one day and he actually smiled at me.  Said he could live with that one.  He’s a fire bird.”

                “And _Wren_ needs phoenix fire,” Barron sighed as Will smiled when the man had used the nickname, “Good thinking, Baby Stronghold.  Go with your mother.  Dragon fire is easier to control than that of a phoenix.  I cannot promise to be able to work with a range, do you understand, Jetstream?”

                “I do,” Josie agreed, snapping an arm around Will and pulling him back as her son protested, “Stop, Will.  Battle is trying to say that we need to set up stronger shields around Sky High.  Phoenix fire is overwhelming.  Hurry so he can do what needs to be done for Warren.”

                Will alit with his mother and again ignored everyone when the adults began yelling out orders and the shields were placed and reinforced around the floating school.  The youngest Stronghold glanced at Layla as she came and wrapped an arm around him while their friends gathered to watch.  The dragon burned bright before bursting into a glimmering, burning, wild looking bird that screamed into the air like a creature made of purest fire.  Which it was.

                “Whoa, look at that,” Zack breathed as the fire grew even more massive than the dragon, “It’s like, filling the sky, Man.”

                “Let’s hope it works or…,” Ethan had begun before trailing off as everyone looked at one another anxiously.

                Or they’d lose Warren and Barron Battle would go off and destroy everything in sight.  Will crossed his fingers, but made note that though this flame form was certainly a bird, it did not have the definition that Warren’s flames were becoming.  Wren’s phoenix flames were smoother.  Will could see actual feathers in the wings on the rare occasions he’d seen this development in Warren’s powers.  The fire burned brighter and brighter for nearly an hour until it rippled and went out as Barron fell from the sky, with Warren falling with him.

              “No!” Will screamed as he leapt into the air.

To be continued...


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What to do and what's going to happen?

Chapter Two

                “Whoa, look at that,” Zack breathed as the fire grew even more massive than the dragon, “It’s like, filling the sky, Man.”

                “Let’s hope it works or…,” Ethan had begun before trailing off as everyone looked at one another anxiously.

                Or they’d lose Warren and Barron Battle would go off and destroy everything in sight.  Will crossed his fingers, but made note that though this flame form was certainly a bird, it did not have the definition that Warren’s flames were becoming.  Wren’s phoenix flames were smoother.  Will could see actual feathers in the wings on the rare occasions he’d seen this development in Warren’s powers.  The fire burned brighter and brighter for nearly an hour until it rippled and went out as Baron fell from the sky, with Warren falling with him.

               “No!” Will screamed as he leapt into the air and startled everyone as he burst through the shields to first catch Warren and then dive to snatch at Barron Battle’s arm, “Gotcha.”

               Will’s speed had him lowering Battle quickly back to Sky High as his parents and other heroes came running. 

               “Ow, ow, ow!  Hot!  God, you’re _hot_!” Will moaned, settling Barron Battle on the ground as the man sank to his knees in what looked like exhaustion.

               “Well, _thank_ you, Baby Stronghold” Barron teased as Will blushed, “Give me my son.”

              Will glanced to where Warren lay limp in his other arm and quickly bent to hand the teen off to his father.  Barron laid his child back in the grass and bent to listen to Warren’s heart.  Most of the red in Wren’s hair was gone.

            “No, Warren,” Barron gasped, leaning up quickly as reached to turn his son’s head towards him, “Take it, Boy.  Take my flames.”

           Will shuddered as despair pulled at him when Barron Battle seemed to dredge up the last of his flames and pushed them straight into Warren’s chest.  Barron burned.  Warren burned.  Nothing happened.

          “No!  _NO!_ ” Barron roared, pulling his son into his embrace, “Take it!  Take it, Warren!  Take it _now_!”

           Barron burned again.  His flames spluttered in and out, but he burned as he hugged his son against him.

          “Please,” Barron whimpered, holding a hand to the back of Warren’s head to hold him closer, “Please, take it, Wren.  Take my flames.  Take my spark.  No.”

           Barron shuddered as he gently laid his dying son down and settled his cheek to Warren’s forehead.  Barron Battle sobbed as the loss broke his heart.  This was not the evil villain that people had seen on television.  This was a father in pain.

           “No.  No!  _NO_!!” Barron screamed as he beat a fist on Warren’s chest suddenly, “My son!  He was supposed to be safe here!  I was promised he’d be safe!  He… _you!_ ”

           The Infiltrator gasped as Barron Battle caught the manacled villain’s eye.  Battle was no hero.  He was action and reaction only.

          “You killed my _son_!” Barron shrieked as the last of his flames burst around him and students screamed, “You touched my child!  I’ll _kill_ you!”

          “Stop!” Commander tried as Barron charged at Infiltrator, “Battle, no!”

           Will whimpered as he dropped to his knees while the heroes rushed to stop Warren’s father.  He ignored the tears as he reached to place a trembling hand to Wren’s chest.  Could a hero really die even before he got to be a hero for real?

          “Warren?” Will called, touching his best friend and whimpering again at feeling the chilled skin that hadn’t warmed with Barron’s efforts, “Please, Warren.  Wren, wake up.”

          “He’s leaving us, Will,” Layla sighed, placing her hand to her boyfriend’s that rested above Warren’s slowing heart as she too mourned their friend, “I’m so sorry, Warren.  I’m so sorry.”

           Layla dissolved into tears as she leaned to hug Warren.  Ethan and Zack kneeled as Magenta bent to place a hand on Layla’s back and one atop the lovers’ hands.

          “This ain’t right,” Zack whispered as he and Ethan also placed their hands atop the others, “He’s, like, one of us.  He’s _one_ of _us_.”

          “And _always_ will be,” Ethan hiccupped as the tears flowed like Will’s.

         “Always,” Magenta agreed, fighting back the tears swimming in her own eyes.

         “Always, Wren,” Will sobbed, bowing in his grief as his tears hit Warren’s face while the older teen’s heart stilled completely before all five teens gasped when Warren suddenly arched as a strange electric like shock seemed to flow from their hands to their downed friend, “Wren?  What’s happening?  What is this?”

        “I don’t know,” Layla breathed, sitting up as another jolt shook Warren whilethe five teens kept their hands on their friend, knowing somehow that it was necessary, “Do you feel that?  It’s like a buzzing or something.  It’s…it’s warm.”

         Layla cried out as she was ripped away from Warren. 

        “Move!  Move quickly!” Barron ordered, snatching at Magenta’s arm as Zach and Ethan peddled away from what they saw as a berserk villain, “Move, Baby Stronghold!  Quickly!  Steve, get your damn boy!”

         “What?” Steven tried as he grabbed Will and followed Barron as they backed away from Warren right as the teen went up in a blazing flame, “Battle?”

         “These five…I can’t believe it.  They shared life with my child,” Barron began, still holding Layla and Magenta against him as they watched the fire burn, “They ignited my boy’s spark.  Only a fire elemental that is purest phoenix fire can have a true phoenix spark.”

         “And what does that mean, Mr. Battle?” Will asked as the taller man looked over at him with hope blooming in his eyes.

         “Phoenixes die and then are reborn,” Barron stated as Will’s own hope flared, “When a phoenix dies, he…”

         “Or she,” Layla interrupted before covering her mouth as Battle chuckled.

        “Yes, he or _she_ burns until there is nothing left of who they once were,” Barron continued, watching as the fire blew bits of ash in all directions as all eyes observed what was occurring, “Then the phoenix is reborn.”

        Will watched avidly as Barron ripped off the long jacket he wore right as the blaze screamed and arched into a large, beautiful phoenix.  Every detail formed as the phoenix flared its wings and screamed a beautiful cry of stubborn denial into the air.

To be continued...


	3. Chapter Three

Chapter Three

Will watched avidly as Barron ripped off the long jacket he wore right as the blaze screamed and arched into a large, beautiful phoenix.  Every detail formed as the phoenix flared its wings and screamed a beautiful cry of stubborn denial into the air and then Battle was rushing forward to cover his son as Warren appeared within the flames for but a moment.  Naked.  Thank goodness his father seemed to have known about this since no one was given an eyeful with Battle blocking the sight.  The phoenix screamed once more before disappearing as quickly as it had appeared. 

“Warren!” Will cried as he ran to his friend as Battle sank to his knees and lowered his son to the ground, “Mr. Battle?”

“Hush, Baby Stronghold,” Barron ordered, supporting Warren as the teen lay against him, wrapped in the long coat, “Look.”

Will grinned wide as the man showed the boy a perfect red streak in Warren’s hair.  The older teen murmured something softly before blinking open hazy eyes to glance up at his father.

“Mm, dad?” Warren sighed before seeming to realize what he was seeing, “ _Father?!_ ”

“I’m here, Little Phoenix,” Barron chuckled before seeming to be overcome with emotion as he held his son close in large arms, “My boy.  I nearly lost you.  I nearly _lost_ you.”

Warren gasped, but hugged his father back as others converged to watch the sight.  It was then that the teen realized he was naked in a too big coat.  Panicked, Warren flushed hot as he shrunk into his father’s embrace.

“Naked in public,” Warren squeaked as his father began to laugh while other heroes and faculty shared relieved looks, “Father, stop laughing!  _Will, help!_ ”

“I’ll go get your gym clothes,” Will soothed as he scrubbed at tears and reached to squeeze his friend’s shoulder.

“Lead the way, Baby Stronghold,” Barron spoke up, hefting his son up as Warren blushed darker at being held like a baby, “Wren needs to take a hot shower and then gets some clothes so he can be seen by a doctor.  Get the fuck out of my way, Commander.  Stupid bastard.  Let’s go, Warren.”

Warren shared an amused look with Will as the younger lead the way to the locker room while Barron Battle and Steve Stronghold sniped at one another angrily all the way.  Warren was a bit put out that he had no strength to stand as his father helped him in the shower.

“You’re reborn, Boy,” Barron snorted as Warren enjoyed the scalding water falling over him, “It will take a few days to strengthen again, Wren.”

“Wren?” Warren questioned, allowing his father to wrap a towel around him and lift him from the stall after having shut off the water, “Not ‘War’ like usual?”

“I have been informed by a little Stronghold that you are not a War, but a Wren,” Barron admitted as his son blinked at him, “A Stronghold, Wren?”

“He’s not too bad of a Stronghold, Dad,” Warren smiled out as Will shyly handed him his gym clothes and backed away as the Commander reached for his son to pull against him.

“Not too bad,” Barron agreed, placing Warren on a bench to help him dry up and dress, “Baby Stronghold must take more after his mother.  She’s much smarter.”

“Oh, shut up,” Steve griped before gasping as Barron pulled Will over and hugged his enemy’s son, “Hey!”

“Thank you, William Stronghold,” Barron whispered as Will hesitantly hugged back, “Phoenixes always have honor guards.  Each of you gave my child a bit of life force, but only yours would have been strong enough to pull Wren back from death.  My child would have died without his soul brother being there to call him home.  I am no hero, but you and I will never cross paths.  You are not my enemy.  You are family, Boy.”

Will felt himself released as quickly as he’d been hugged before Barron had his fully clothed son back in his arms to settle Warren on the stretcher that the special EMT staff had brought in.  Both Steven and Will watched Barron leaving beside of his son.  Most of the students were taken to the super hospital to be checked out.  Will and his friends were deemed safe, but they remained in the waiting room to get word on Warren’s condition. 

“Honor guard,” Ethan sighed with a smile, “How cool is that?”

“What does that even mean?” Layla questioned as the others nodded at the inquiry.

“It means we will fight as a team,” Ethan gushed as the others shared grins, “Warren is not a pyro after all.  He’s an elemental.  Pure phoenix fire.  His dad can use a bit of dragon and a bit of phoenix, but Warren burns with phoenix.  It means he’s a life giver like the sun.  As honor guard, we watch over the sun and keep him safe just as he does for the rest of us.”

“Kind of like when we seem to always go to Wren when we’ve got an issue.  Even unconsciously,” Will pressed as Ethan nodded eagerly, “So we are all a part of one another?”

“Exactly.”

The teens looked up as Barron halted in being led away by prison guards.  He was handcuffed, but wouldn’t budge when the guards tried to pull him along.

“Mr. Battle, Warren?” Will demanded, jumping up as the guards gave up in moving Barron.

“A little dehydrated and needs rest, but fine,” Barron explained as the teens sighed in relief, “Wren’s with his mother now and she will allow you to visit in a bit, but only for a minute or two.  Warren’s still too weak to handle much, but he will need to see you five.  You are correct that you are all a part of the other.”

“How is that?” Magenta asked, seeming confused.

“Phoenix fire is like the sun, but the sun needs Earth to shine upon.  Earth is composed of multiple parts that create a system of balance,” Barron continued as the Commander and Jetstream came over to listen, “You five are Wren’s honor guard, his system of balance.  It happens naturally and without choosing.  You all revolve around one another and are drawn to one another because your roles are complex and only understood between you six.  Warren is at the heart, but so too is his soul brother, Will.”

“You said that before, Battle,” the Commander blurted as everyone looked to him, “What does that mean?  How is my child your son’s soul brother?”

“It means that the two were born to be partners when they fight,” Barron sniffed as Will grinned at the thought of that, “Phoenix fire burns bright and strong and only another of equal strength can help someone, such as my boy, balance so as not to burn out.  I should have known that when I found out about the whole cafeteria deal last year.  My Warren doesn’t miss.  If he’d wanted to harm Baby Stronghold he would have.”

“But he didn’t,” Will spoke up as Barron Battle nodded.

  “He felt the connection even then,” Barron hummed thoughtfully, spearing the teens with his eyes, “Know this, your bonds are unbreakable and none can tear you six apart.  Without your affections, my son would have died.  You have my greatest gratitude in saving my Wren today.  Watch over my boy for me.  Watch him well.”

The teens glanced at one another before offering Battle a united nod.  The ex-villain nodded once before allowing himself to be led to the transport arranged to take him back to jail with the Commander and Jetstream following.

“I have a brother,” Will almost squealed as the others shared a grin with one another for a second, “I always wanted a brother and now I get a cool one like Wren.”

“Do you think he’ll be upset that it’s just us as his honor guard?” Zack spoke up, looking unsure as the group looked to him, “I mean, Will’s all strong and stuff and Layla’s cool, but we’re just…Wren could have better support than…well, you know what I’m trying to say.”

“I say that if you say that again, I’ll fry you one,” a tired voice spoke up as the group whirled to see Warren being pushed in a hospital bed down the hallway.

The teen looked pale and worn out, but he was alive.  Warren was looking at them defiantly and it was like the world just settled back into place as the five sighed in relief at seeing their friend.  Even if he was glaring angrily.

“Ow, watch the IV line,” Warren hissed as Will grabbed at one of his hands before settling as the younger teen calmed, “I’m being taken to my room now.  Come visit once I’m settled in.  Get, Dork.”

Will let go and stepped back as Warren was pushed down the hall.  The snarky comments and orders were music to their ears.  Soon enough, the five teens were allowed to gather around their friend’s bedside.

To be continued...


	4. Chapter Four and Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked the story.

Chapter Four

Ow, watch the IV line,” Warren hissed as Will grabbed at one of his hands before settling as the younger teen calmed, “I’m being taken to my room now.  Come visit once I’m settled in.  Get, Dork.”

Will let go and stepped back as Warren was pushed down the hall.  The snarky comments and orders were music to their ears.  Soon enough, the five teens were allowed to gather around their friend’s bedside.

“So,” Warren sighed.

“So,” Will grinned out as again he took Warren’s hand in his, “I’m not going to ask how you feel.  Stupid question.”

“It is, but I feel tired, weak, embarrassed at being naked…in front of others,” Warren listed off as the teens smiled, “Pretty grateful that I had five somebodies who helped me home.  I was lost and it was so cold.  I couldn’t get to the fire I felt was reaching for me.  I was so desperate for the heat, but then it was like…I don’t know how to explain.  I felt you five reaching for me, but it was like Stronghold built the bridge so I could reach the rest of you.  I felt you around me and it was like you ignited the fire within.  Reminded me why I needed to come home.  Dad told me that you were my honor guard.  Couldn’t ask for five better ones, okay?  No coming down on yourself, Glow Stick.”

“But…” Zack began before trailing off as Warren shook his head.

“Look, I hate emotional, but we’re going to talk about this and then bury it because emotions can be hard,” Warren insisted as the group looked at one another and back to him, “I hated people before you five forced me to reevaluate myself.  Layla is the collected mother that watches over us and Magenta is that snarky sister that says what we need to hear, but don’t want to acknowledge.”

Magenta blushed as Layla looked down in embarrassment with a small smile forming on her lips.

“Ethan is our knowledge and has more heart than all of us put together,” Warren continued, making Ethan duck his head shyly as he grinned in pleasure, “Zack, you are our energy and the comedy relief when we are feeling low.  Will, you are our heart.  You are a big, goofy dork and one that I can always trust to have my back.  If I had to have a brother, you are one I claim with pride.  You five make me want to be a better person.  A person who can protect others.”

“Because you are the father,” Will pointed out as the others grinned at him when Warren looked away uncomfortably while he blushed, “You watch over all of us and are there to remind us that we have the strength to do what needs to be done on our own.  You don’t enable, you allow us to grow and be who we are naturally, dork and all.”

Will smiled when Warren chuckled as he looked up from his pillow at them.  The youngest Stronghold sobered then as he looked at his best friend intensely.

“We all complete one another and have become family,” Will sighed, looking down as he held tight to Warren’s hand, “We are your honor guard because we fit together and I never, _ever_ want to see you lifeless…I can’t see that again.”

“Yeah, we need to have one another’s backs more,” Zack nodded out as Warren looked up at him in surprise, “No solo hero crap.  We work as a team.  We survive together or go our together.  Period.”

“Deal,” Warren agreed as Zack grinned at him, “And now we never talk about this again.  Especially the naked part.  Ever.”

“Deal,” Magenta snorted, reaching to hold the same hand that Will held before three other hands reached to do the same as the same buzz from before rippled along their links.

Ms. Peace found five teens settled awkwardly around her sleeping son a few minutes later.  Will was draped across Warren’s feet and Layla and Magenta was curled along her son’s sides.  Ethan and Zack were sleeping with their hands held tight in Warren’s as they sat in the chairs on each side of her son’s bed.  The mother smiled as she helped rearrange some of the children so they could sleep better.

“Goodness,” Josie gasped from the doorway as Mrs. Peace turned to see the Strongholds, “We came to take Will home, but…”

“But he needs to stay with his brother,” Ms. Peace whispered, “He’s got a death grip on my Wren’s foot.  I don’t think you could unhook those hands if you tried and then you’d wake my son and Warren needs his rest.”

“I’m sorry that Barron had to be returned to jail,” Steve sighed as Ms. Peace regarded him silently, “I’ve not seen Battle like that in a long, long time.”

“Barron will always be that hero you remember for our son’s sake,” Ms. Peace admitted as she glanced at Warren, “It is funny, Steve, I have never hated you two.  Barron brought on his downfall on his own, but I did resent your happy life compared to the hell my sweet boy and I went through.  None of that was your or Josie’s fault, mind you, but it still pinched to see my once happy child withdraw every time he was deemed evil because of his parentage.  The hurt of rejection festered and he shut down.  To think, that it would be _your_ son that would draw out the real Warren.  To help my son heal and bring out the phoenix within him.  I’m shocked.  We are family now, do you know that?”

“It would seem so,” Josie snorted as the three adults glanced to the teens, “We’d better go let Layla’s, Ethan’s, Magenta’s, and Zack’s parents know where the children are.  It has been quite a day.  I’m glad that there are six teens in that room and not just five.”

“Oh, God,” Ms. Peace breathed, shaking a bit as Steve grabbed her arm gently, “Thank God for that.  Thank goodness for my boy’s honor guard and his father.  Steve, the Infiltrator?”

“Barron choked the life nearly out of the man,” Steve groaned as Ms. Peace nodded her understanding, “Infiltrator has already been carted off to jail once it was known that he would live.  I don’t blame your husband for that one.  I don’t know what I’d have done if I had found my son like I saw Warren.  Barron was right.  We should have moved in faster before your son was placed in that situation.”

“Then do that from here on out so no mother has to be told that her son died,” Ms. Peace insisted as Steve straightened with a nod, “Warren died today and was reborn because of his elemental powers and his honor guard.  Another child wouldn’t have been as fortunate.  I know Barron is pigheaded and forceful.  He chafed at being a hero because he was all action and not a lot of thought beforehand, but sometimes it is action that must happen at once before disaster strikes.  Remember seeing my son almost dead in his father’s arms and never allow that to happen to any other child.  Swear it, Steve!”

“I swear it,” the Commander promised with Josie echoing the pledge.

“Then things happened as they were meant to,” Ms. Peace decided, stepping from the room with the Strongholds, “There will be no more animosity among our houses.  That chapter in our lives is over and a new chapter has begun with the rebirth of my son.”

Epilogue:

Warren was surprised at all the welcome he received once he was strong enough to return to school.  The damage to Sky High had been rebuilt and the fire elemental snorted at seeing what awaited him once he stepped from his bus.  His grinning honor guard.

“Hey,” Will chirped as Warren rolled his eyes at him, “We’ve missed you.”

“You were _all_ at my house last night,” Warren teased with raised brows as Stronghold grinned wider, “Not enough hours in between to miss someone.”

“Missed you here at school,” Will explained as he bounced with the others after Warren, “Lunch wasn’t the same without you, Wren.”

“Got that right.  No one pointed out that Will was a dork,” Magenta listed off as Will laughed while a grinning Layla leaned against his side, “No one kept Miss Green Peace from redoing the posters in the hallways _twice_ so they’d be more environmentally friendly despite the fact that they _already were_.  No one kept Zack and Ethan from eating too much pudding like you’re able to do.  Zack-Attack yack is disgusting.”

“It was a contest,” Zack whined as Warren glowered at him, “We won’t do that again.”

“Damn straight you won’t,” Warren huffed.

“We _have_ missed you terribly,” Layla acknowledged as Warren smiled softly at her, “The days just don’t feel right when our group isn’t together the way we should be.  We’re a team.”

“Sure are,” Ethan cheered.

The six teens allowed a shy smile as regular patterns seemed to fold perfectly back into place.  When…

“Heard you had a nice ass, Peace!” a small-time bully hollered as Warren whirled right as another voice yelled out.

“Fuck off, Dean!  At least Peace has a nice ass, unlike your flat-back, Cocksucker!”

“Oh, and no one can quite keep Mag under control like you can,” Will laughed out as Warren pulled an irate Magenta away and covered her mouth with a gloved hand, “Way to snark, Magenta.”

“Don’t encourage it,” Warren hissed as Magenta grinned up at him when he took his hand away, “It only makes _it_ worse.  Mag, that was kind of cool, but the wording?  Really?”

“Well, he should keep his pie hole shut and you _do_ have a nice ass,” Magenta declared as Warren blushed with a groan, “No one saw your ass by the way.  Your dad, who Will thought was _hot_ , made sure of that.”

“Magenta!” Will gasped as his friend took off with a hyena laugh while Layla ran squawking after her while Warren’s mouth fell open, “It wasn’t like that, Wren.  I said your dad was hot when I caught him.  Meaning hot to the touch not hot, _hot_.  I’m going to kill Mag.”

“Caught my dad?” Warren interrupted Will’s babble, “He fell or something?”

“His fire ran out when he was trying to relight your spark while he was inflight and I had to catch the two of you,” Will explained as Warren blinked at this new information, “He was burning to the touch and even I felt it, Wren.  I said he was hot, but not the way Mag implied it and now the whole school has been gossiping about me being hung up on Barron Battle.  It’s embarrassing.”

“I’ll deal with that,” Warren growled, glaring around angrily as Will perked up, “Eat this blueberry muffin my mom sent you.  I hear your stomach growling again.  Are you ever full?”

“Nope,” Will denied, skipping after Warren as his soul brother stalked up the steps, “One problem with too much strength.  You constantly need to refuel.”

Zach and Ethan followed sedately as they saw Warren watching over Will and Layla reprimanding an unrepentant Magenta.  One look from Warren and Magenta finally reluctantly agreed to whatever Layla was demanding before another look had Zach and Ethan scuttling over quicker. 

“Get up here before we’re all late,” Warren fussed as the student body parted ways as the group moved down the hallway, “Come on.”

The five grinned at one another before hurrying after their phoenix.  “Father” had called and his honor guard answered.  Balance clicked into place and for six teens, life was good.

The end.

 


End file.
